Delerium
by Juggernaut1
Summary: A broken Sarah returns to the Labyrinth to confront her destiny... J/S
1. Silence

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth (though that would be nice), as far as I know it pretty much belongs to Jim Henson, Terry Jones, and everyone else who had the (brilliant) idea first. Therefore I don't own Jareth, Sarah or any of the other original characters, though there may be the introduction of my own character in later chapters. And finally I don't own the lyrics to "Silence", they belong to Sarah McLachlan. So there really is no point in sueing me, so...please don't!! Anyway I hope you enjoy the story and please R & R! Thankyou very much for listening :)

  
  


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Give me release

Witness me, I am outside

  
  


Give me peace

Heaven holds a sense of wonder

And I wanted to believe

that I'd get caught up

when the rage in me subsides

  
  


Passion chokes the flower until she cries no more

Possessing all the beauty hungry still for more

  
  


Heaven holds a sense of wonder

And I wanted to believe that I'd get caught up

  
  


When the rage in me subsides

In this white wave

I am sinking

In this silence

  
  


In this white wave ... in this silence ...

I believe I can't help this longing ...

comfort me I can't hold it all in ...

if you won't let me ...

  
  


Heaven holds a sense of wonder

And I wanted to believe that I'd get caught up

  
  


When the rage in me subsides

In this white wave

I am sinking

In this silence

  
  


In this white wave ...

in this silence I believe I have seen you ...

in this white wave you are silent

You are breathing in this white wave ...

I am free

  
  
  
  


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It had been 3 years.

To Sarah, it had seemed an eternity. To Jareth...well, Jareth was an eternity. He did not care to measure time; it was futile. So many things were, to the Goblin King.

But their time apart had torn his once-unyielding heart.

  
  


She had grown; her 15-year-old childishness had dissolved and been replaced by the beauty and allure of a woman, past 18. She no longer wished for the fantastical; she rarely thought of the Labyrinth now; she did not even read the book that had once been so precious, that had once seemed her salvation. Adult responsibilities and choices were beginning to prey on her mind and dominate her thoughts.

It was only in dreams that she dared fantasise. Fantasise about what might have been, what might have happened if she had not said those 6 little words, those 6 words that had changed everything. Set her free, set Toby free, let them go.

  
  


You have no power over me...

  
  


Those visions would haunt her for days afterwards, mocking her, challenging her, just like Jareth had, just like she imagined he still did, penetrating her thoughts, manipulating her dreams. He was always there, always the centre of the most sensuous of her delusions, his mismatched, glittering eyes steady, filling her with fire, his face the same, beautiful, almost pleading, just as she remembered him from those last heart-wrenching moments when she said those 6 little words.

  
  


Just 6 little words.

  
  


After a while, the dreams consumed her every thought completely. The life she was confined to bored her, the school she had chosen to attend in the fall, such a short time away, loomed ahead, exhausting her already at the mere prospect. She rarely saw her family now; she had previously moved out, over to the other side of town, just to escape them. When she did visit, she only did it for Toby. Ever since their time in the Labyrinth, she had felt a stronger bond with her brother than she had ever had with Karen, or her father, or even...even her mother. Though she doubted they would ever speak of it, she knew it would constrain them, forever. That was the one thing that kept her going sometimes.

  
  


She had just broken up with her boyfriend. Clever Danny, clever, clever Danny, on his way to Harvard, much too good for her. It had been said so many times that Sarah was beginning to believe it. He was the only man she had ever been with, though. Except...

Except Jareth.

No, that was wrong. She had never been with Jareth. He had taken her brother, her Toby.

  
  


But she had asked him to.

  
  


He had been cruel, he had been wicked.

  
  


But he had done it for her.

  
  


She tried to shake these asinine retaliations from her mind, but she found she could not. Was this Jareth, manipulating her again? It would not surprise her. Oh, she should despise him. Should wish a thousand curses on his uncaring soul.

  
  


But she could not.

  
  


Sometimes, when she and Danny had been together, only sometimes, she had imagined Jareth, and how he would be at this moment, how those eyes would gaze straight into hers with that intense power, how he would possess her completely, just like she wished he would. 

But only sometimes. She knew it was ridiculous.

  
  


It was cold , for summer. The clouds of the day had long since dissolved into a chilly darkness, that soon gave in to a night of torrential and unrelenting rain. Sarah remembered only one night such as this; the night that they had come for Toby.

The night that he had come...for her.

The memory made her shiver- she was so alone here in her apartment. She longed for company, for affection. Even with Danny, she had missed that. She realised nothing had been able to completely take away this hollow feeling in her heart, since the Labyrinth, since Jareth.

But she was older now. She was 18 years old, for God's sake. And he had probably forgotten all about her.

  
  


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She never ceased to intrigue him.

  
  


He watched her so often, although the crystal's images made a poor substitute for the undying beauty that he could not forget. She was changing; she had changed; but there was still that fire, that spirit. It was dimming now, though...that was the change which disturbed him most of all. He had watched too many people hurt her. Strange to think that such a vulnerable child had outwitted him all those years ago.

  
  


And now; now he was reading her thoughts, and they did intrigue him. Did she really think he could have forgotten her that easily? It was almost a slap in the face. Had his...generosity, his painful longing, his unrequited gestures to show his love, had they meant nothing to her? Did she think him so incapable of love?

  
  


For a time she had found comfort in another. The memory still inflamed him...Sarah, his Sarah, his own angel, in the arms of some self-important fool. What had that Danny had, that Jareth did not? Jareth had everything. He thought of what he had offered Sarah; immortality, appreciation. Love. The love of a King. He had offered to make her a queen, his queen, and she had spat in his face.

  
  


He sighed, absently twisting the crystal on the palm of his hand, realising the extent of his loss. Of course, it was ridiculous...a mortal girl like Sarah and the majestic Goblin King, master of the Labyrinth, commander of armies...but he had never let himself think it impossible.

She confused him, though. At times he would look into her dreams and watch her fantasies unfold, images of them, of him and her- his lost queen- together, images of what might have been. So she thought of him softly from time to time. Perhaps there was hope. He knew not.

  
  


Well, if she called him, he would come, and take her away from those that were ruining her. Until then, he had to be content with her thoughts and dreams, her secrets, and the way she looked- though blurred by the crystal- the angel that he would always wait for.


	2. Forever

  
  


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Every second seemed like an eternity. Sarah had never felt quite so alone. She thought of friends past- Hoggle, Ludo, Didymus- and felt the tears springing to her eyes and blurring her vision. She wondered if they were out there somewhere still, if they ever wished for her too...what had they said once?

  
  
  
  


Should you need us...

  
  
  
  


Oh, I need you. All of you, she thought. But I can't find the words...

  
  


Sarah realised that she was growing up. It wouldn't always be so easy to call up fantasies, favourite memories, old friends. She thought of all she had left behind in the Labyrinth. Her friends- her truest friends. Her adventures. Even...even Jareth, whom she thought she would never long for again. 

  
  


And in a way, her childhood.

  
  
  
  


She felt a single tear run a warm, wet rivulet down her smooth cheek, and put up a finger to brush it away. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, and her finger lingered on her face. Her skin felt hot, as if she was blushing, being watched. She wondered if Jareth was watching her now, reading her very thoughts, entering her world through a single crystal. She reached out to touch the glass with her hand, and it felt cold and hard to the touch. She wondered also if he would still look at her that same way, that same beseeching, almost desperate way, if he looked at her now. Her face was different- her expressions older, the faintest beginnings of lines on her forehead. Worry lines. She frowned, then regretted it, for it made her look worse. Her eyes were...wiser? She didn't know how to describe them. Her hair was shorter now, falling just past her shoulders, still that rich chocolate hue, but not as long, as luxurious. She rarely wore it down now.

  
  


She closed her eyes and thought of him. Tall, slender. Lean yet muscular, his skin pale and flawless, his eyes mismatched yet the deepest pools of azure and umber imaginable. The arched brows, the mane of silver-blonde, the regal air that held her captive.

  
  
  
  


"Oh, Jareth."she murmured, trying to drown in the blackness behind her closed eyelids forever.

  
  
  
  


"I thought you'd never call me."

  
  


That voice. That voice, so very familiar...

  
  
  
  


When she opened her eyes, she was hardly even surprised to see him, behind her in the mirror, yet it filled her with a sense of almost...fear. Trepidation. He was already getting the better of her.

  
  


"Well met, Sarah."

  
  


She watched his reflection in the mirror as he spoke, and turned to him- slowly, the burning eyes still so powerful, holding her captive, just the same. She couldn't have countenanced before how much she'd longed for this submission.

  
  


"Wh-why..." She could hardly speak.

  
  


"You called me, Sarah." A faint sneer crossed his lips, and he walked around her slowly, as if trying to take all of her in, watching her eyes all the time. "I always swore to come if you called."

  
  


"It's been...a while."

  
  


"Three years. Nothing to you, I am sure, but in my world, it is...forever."

  
  


"You've been watching me, haven't you?" She hadn't quite meant it to come out that way, hadn't intended the traces of bitterness, malice in her tone. She couldn't bear it if he left her now.

  
  


He chuckled softly, and she realised he must have read her mind. Damn, she thought.

  
  


"You have changed."he murmured, that low, smooth voice sending shivers down her spine."I never thought you'd be begging me to take you."

  
  


"I'm not begging you for anything."she replied weakly, realising how unconvincing she must sound and cringing.

  
  


"Did you miss me, Sarah?"he asked, coming just a little closer, close enough to intimidate her.

  
  


"I...no..." Sarah realised it was useless."Yes..."

  
  


He nodded, looking down the length of her body, then up again. She felt her face go hot.

  
  


"I've kept an eye on you."he continued."It pleased me to watch you grow. And you certainly did." That sly sneer again."You're a woman now, Sarah...though I do wonder whether that spoilt little girl still dwells in you."

  
  
  
  


He tried to read her, but her thoughts were muddled. She was so different. He almost missed the callous, fiery young girl who had so coldly denied him. They had broken her; she had become a...creature, hungry for love. The idea of having complete power over her intrigued and excited him, but he was surprised at what she had altered to.

  
  


It was time to take her away. She had to come back with him, live a real life, get away from this mortal world of loneliness and complications.

  
  
  
  


"I need...need you to help mr."she murmured. He laughed softly. He knew exactly what she wanted. And he would give it to her, but he would toy with her first.

  
  


"Help you?" He smiled, cupped her soft cheek in his gloved hand, and was almost disappointed when she did not flinch."Sarah, Sarah, why would you want the help of the wicked Goblin King, who took your baby brother, who was cruel?" He removed his hand from her face and conjured a crystal, the image of his owl form flying inside it, and showed it to her. She looked at the floor. "And why would I want to help you? The wilful girl who conquered the unconquerable and outwitted the powers that have not failed me for hundreds of years?"

  
  


She felt the familiar anger bubbling up inside her, but tried to contain it. She would not let him infuriate her. "Please."she said softly, her eyes beseeching him. 

  
  


He weakened at those eyes, so beguiling, like he had never before seen them, but felt puzzled. He could feel the anger in her, but she was declining to show it. Sarah was no match for him, nor a worthy opponent, when she acted in this passive, compliant manner. How could he rule her if she gave herself to him to begin with? Was she afraid he would leave her if she did not?

  
  


Yes, that was it...he could read her mind clearly now. He almost felt bad for making her feel so hopeless. She had been hurt too many times since their last meeting.

  
  
  
  


"Very well...what is it you desire?"

  


"Take me with you." Her voice begged him to. It was... pathetic. He was disgusted. This was not right. Where was the satisfaction in this?

  
  


But she was very beautiful, and he could not resist power.

  
  
  
  


"You would leave...all this?" He motioned around the small apartment room."Forever?"

  
  


She did not take her eyes off his. "Forever."

  
  


He nodded slowly."It is done."

  
  


She smiled faintly, and her lovely face lit up."Thankyou...Jareth."

  
  


And so it was that he took her, back to the Underground, to the Labyrinth, and the splendour of his castle beyond the Goblin City.

  
  
  
  


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To be continued ;)

~J


	3. Surrender

  
  
  
  


Disclaimer: Back again, thanks a million for the lovely reviews! So, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it :-) And I stress once more, I do not own the Labyrinth, or any of the original characters, I'm just one of the little people... and, also unfortunately, I don't own the lyrics to "Sweet Surrender", again, they belong to the v cool Sarah McLachlan. So, yeah, keep reading and hope you like the story!

  
  
  
  


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it doesn't mean much it doesn't mean anything at all

the life I've left behind me is a cold room 

I've crossed the last line from where I can't return where every step I took 

in faith betrayed me and led me from my home

and sweet surrender is all that I have to give

you take me in no questions asked you strip away the ugliness that surrounds me

are you an angel am I already that gone

I only hope that I won't disappoint you when I'm down here on my knees

and sweet surrender is all that I have to give

sweet, sweet surrender is all that I have to give 

and I don't understand by the touch of your hand

I would be the one to fall

I miss the little things oh I miss everything

it doesn't mean much it doesn't mean anything at all 

the life I left behind me is a cold room 

  
  


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Dreams haunted her that night. Strange, incoherent visions that she thought she had forgotten. A hundred masked faces, grotesque yet exquisite, the wearers elaborately costumed, whirling around as if in slow motion, a disconcerting masquerade set to an all-too-familiar melody reminiscent of a lullaby she had heard long ago. And there she was, seemingly so coy, yet inwardly bedazzled by the splendour of her surroundings. She was young, 15 years old again, searching almost desperately for the one that tormented and captivated her all at once. She could not find him, and the feeling of desolation overtook her. This wasn't how it had been. He had been there, she remembered. They had danced, the crystals overhead glittering, the others fading away into the background. But she couldn't find him now...and she was lost.

  
  


"Jareth!"she cried out, sitting bolt upright, her sleepy eyes taking a moment to adjust to the dimness of the room. She was in a strange bed, in a strange place, and she could feel the sleek caress of satin against her skin. She looked down and her mouth opened slightly at the night attire that she was now wearing. It was beautiful...pure snowy white, of the finest silky texture, cut low on her breast. She wondered if Jareth had seen her in it yet, and if it had pleased him. In truth, she was mildly surprised that he was not in bed beside her. The thought almost depressed her: if he did not want her now, she would have no other. 

  
  


"You called me again; how generous of you."

  
  


She turned, almost jumping at the sudden sound. He had materialised suddenly by her bedside, and she felt almost naked in her low-cut nightdress, especially when she followed his gaze to the swell of her breasts, the cut of the sheer material just protecting her modesty. She felt herself blush, and he laughed.

  
  


"Come now Sarah, there is no need for such meekness." He sat down on her bed and stroked the edge of the soft downy coverlet, and she fleetingly wondered if he would be that gentle, that delicate if it were she that he caressed. Damn! she thought. He must have read that in her mind. She dared not look at him, and her blush turned to crimson.

  
  


"Does the room please you?"he asked, amused by her chagrin. She nodded.

  
  


"It's...beautiful."

  
  


And it was. Jareth had delved deep into the corners of her mind to inspire the extravagant decor. The room she had dreamed of having, but been unable to create in the small space of her dingy apartment, was the room that Jareth had made for her. The walls were a deep royal blue, edged with a gold-leaf border, and the ceiling was an ever-changing night sky, with real twinkling stars that shone brightly in the dark midst. The floor was richly carpeted with the softest, thickest gold underfoot, and the vast windows gave way to panoramic views across the Kingdom, with thick drapes of spun gold shimmered and swayed at either side. Sarah's bed was a huge, four-postered affair, draped this time in royal blue velvet that was at present held back with gold tasselled ties. The coverlet shimmered blue and gold, and there were blue satin sheets and pillow covers. The pillows themselves were filled with downy goose-feathers, and the entire room was excessively luxurious. Sarah had never been so pampered. She looked straight up into Jareth's beautiful, changeling eyes then.

  
  


"Why did you do all this for me?"

  
  


His once-cruel mouth twisted into a smile."Sarah, you must realise how I have longed for you."

  
  


Oh, how I have longed for you too, she thought, gazing into his eyes and praying that he would always look at her this way, with that gentle tenderness in his eyes, forever.

  
  


"Jareth, I've wanted you for so long...please..."

  
  


Please? He could not resist the triumph and mild amazement that he felt. She was his now. And though her new meekness had surprised him, he was prepared to overlook it. Why shun the beautiful girl he had dreamt of for so long, when she was offering herself to him? 

  
  


"You've changed your tune since three years ago."he said sardonically, enjoying her submission.

  
  


"I was stupid. I never realised..."

  
  


"What I was offering you? What you had turned down?" He nodded, moved a little closer."I had hoped you would come to your senses." He removed one soft leather glove and put a hand on her bare shoulder, stroking the soft, warm flesh gently, moving his hand down to the very edge of the dangerously low neckline, prepared to make this a leisurely seduction, to have her exactly when he wished. She quivered at his touch, and it excited him even more. 

  
  


He leaned forward and kissed her, a little harder than he had meant to, tasting the sweetness of that soft little mouth. She encouraged him with her own tongue, and he slipped his hand inside the bodice of her nightdress, moving his hand over her perfect breasts and feeling the nipples harden under his caress. He broke the kiss and bent his head to her neck, kissing and licking the skin, and she moaned softly. She wanted him, he could feel it.

  
  


He would take her now.

  
  
  
  
  
  


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More to come soon ;)

~J


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